Method and apparatus for hanging pictures and other wall objects

ABSTRACT

A fastening device is provided for hanging a picture or other wall object on a wall. The fastening device including a carrier having at least two mounting hooks in parallel alignment which are secured to the carrier for engaging wire mounting means on the back of the picture or wall object. Affixation means in the form of either a nail or adhesive mounts are provided for affixing the carrier to the wall. A leveling device, preferably a bubble level, may be included in the carrier. A companion method for hanging the picture or other wall object on a wall using the subject fastening device is further provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to method and apparatus for hanging pictures and other wall objects on a wall and, more particularly, to a fastening device for hanging such pictures and other wall objects that can quickly and easily facilitate the level hanging of the picture or other object on the wall.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Since time in memoriam, people have been hanging pictures and other objects on walls, initially using nails and subsequently more sophisticated picture hangers. Typically, this is accomplished by the use of one or more picture hangers that are inserted into the wall which are adapted to engage a wire on the back of a picture or other object in order to secure it to the wall. These picture hangers are frequently of the type having an upper portion which issued includes an aperture through which a nail may be inserted for attaching the hanger to the wall and a lower portion which includes a hook for engaging the wire on the back of the picture.

[0005] While one hook or fastening device can adequately secure a picture or other object to a wall, it is preferable to use at least two hooks or fastening devices to insure that the picture or object which is being hung is adequately secured to the wall and maintained in proper alignment.

[0006] The prior art is replete with examples of fastening devices or hooks which come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and configurations. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,510 which issued on Dec. 30, 1980 to R. P. Radecki for Aid for Hanging Pictures; U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,648 which issued on May 24, 1983 to L. Hart et al. for Easy Mount Picture Package; U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,761 which issued on Dec. 15, 1987 to E. T. Wassell for Picture Hanging Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,895 which issued on Apr. 19, 1994 to H. E. Hart for Apparatuses and Methods for Hanging Frames; U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,760 which issued on Dec. 5, 1995 to D. R. Farris for Picture Frame Locator; U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,213 which issued on Apr. 23, 1996 to M. H. Kelly et al. for Picture Frame Hanger Aid and Aligning Device; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,917 which issued on Feb. 9, 1999 to D. R. Karon for Picture Frame Locating Device.

[0007] Similarly, the incorporation of a leveling device, preferably a bubble leveling device in such a fastening device is also well known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,681 which issued on Jul. 18, 1978 to B. L. Hollander for Picture Frame Leveling Device; U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,802 which issued on Jun. 24, 1980 to S. R. Berndt for Level Indicating Device for Wall-Mounted Pictures; U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,957 which issued on Oct. 2, 1984 to R. E. Falukner for Device for Locating a Frame Hanger; U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,185 which issued on Mar. 10, 1987 to U. L. Brandimarte for Leveling Tool; U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,094 which issued on Jul. 31, 1990 to J. G. Depiano et al. for Picture Frame Leveling Tool; U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,574 which issued on Apr. 14, 1992 to K. K. Levy for Measuring Tool for Hanging Up Pictures and the Like; U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,027 which issued on Sep. 19, 1995 to R. McHenry for Picture Hanging Device; U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,817 which issued on Nov. 7, 1995 to R. A. Leeds for Picture Frame Leveling Device; U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,729 which issued on Sep. 8, 1998 to P. D. O'Brien et al. for Apparatus for Assisting in Positioning Hanging Articles; U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,362 which issued on Feb. 29, 2000 for Alignment Device; U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,369 which issued on Oct. 31, 2000 to U. Mushin for Level Indicator for a Wall-Mounted Fixture; U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,669 which issued on Mar. 27, 2001 for Wall Hanging Level; U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,151 which issued on S. Hale on Jul. 10, 2001 for Shelving Unit With Internal Leveling Indicator; U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,802 which issued on Sep. 11, 2001 to L. C. Munson for Hanger System having Bubble Level Insert; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,093 which issued on Oct. 23, 2001 for Hanger Tool To Facilitate Centering And Hanging Of A Component.

[0008] While each of these patents disclose a form of fastening device, some with leveling means, all are extremely complicated, expensive, and frequently difficult to actually use. This is in stark contrast with the fastening device of the present invention which simply and inexpensively permits the secure and level hanging of a picture with no training and at a fraction of the cost of many of these devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Against the foregoing background, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a fastening device for hanging a picture or object on a wall.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide such a fastening device which is easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0011] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a fastening device that may also include automatic leveling means.

[0012] To the accomplishments of the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention, in brief summary, comprises a fastening device for hanging a picture or other wall object on a wall. The fastening device including a carrier having at least two mounting hooks in parallel alignment which are secured to the carrier for engaging wire mounting means on the back of the picture or wall object. Affixation means in the form of either a nail or adhesive mounts are provided for affixing the carrier to the wall. A leveling device, preferably a bubble level, may be included in the carrier. A companion method for hanging the picture or other wall object on a wall using the subject fastening device is further provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The foregoing and still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed explanation of the preferred embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a rear view through a wall showing the manner in which the fastening device of the present invention is used to hang a picture on the wall.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a front view of the fastening device of the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 3 is a side view of the fastening device of FIG. 2.

[0017]FIG. 4 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the fastening device of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 5 is a side view of the fastening device of FIG. 4.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring to the drawings and, in particular, to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, the fastening device of the present invention, referred to generally by reference numeral 10, is illustrated as it may be used in actually attaching a picture 12 to a wall 14. The picture 12 being attached is the type having a pair of eyelets 16 and a wire 18 attached to both eyelets to permit hanging of the picture using any fastening device including the fastening device 10 of the present invention. The fastening device 10 of the present invention includes a pair of fastening hooks 20 which are mounted on or secured to a mounting carrier 22, preferably by an adhesive or glue.

[0020] As better shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fastening hooks 20 are conventional picture hanger hooks 20 of the type having a substantially flat back portion 30 include an aperture 32 contained in the upper portion of the back portion 30 and a raised retaining or hook portion 34 which serves to engage and capture the wire 18 on the back of the picture or wall object 12 (see FIG. 1). A nail or fastening element 40 having an enlarged head 42 is provided and is adapted to pass through the aperture 32 contained in the hook 20.

[0021] Mounting carrier 22 can be fabricated from a flexible plastic or cardboard material and hooks 20 are secured to the carrier 22 by a conventional adhesive material. It is important that the mounting carrier 22 be relatively soft and pliable to permit the nail 40 to be easily driven through the carrier 22 with simple pressure.

[0022] It will be appreciated that while the drawings all depict a pair of hooks 20 mounted on a single carrier 22, there may be instances where it is necessary to use more than two hooks 20, e.g., where the weight of the picture or object is such as to require greater support. Similarly, there may be instances in which one cannot use a nail 40 to penetrate the wall 14. In such instances, the nail 40 may be eliminated and a releasable adhesive means (not shown) is attached to the rear of the carrier 22 for securing the carrier to the wall 14.

[0023] As shown perhaps best in FIG. 3, the fastening device 10 of the present invention is employed by positioning the carrier 22 on the wall 14 in an appropriate position. It is secured to the wall by driving the nail 40 through the hook 20 and the carrier 22 into the wall using a hammer or other driving tool. After both nails 40 are driven into the wall 14, the picture may be hung by securing the wire 18 to the hook portion 34 of the hooks 20.

[0024]FIGS. 4 and 5 depict an alternative embodiment of the present invention where a leveling device 50 is incorporated into the carrier 22. The leveling device 50 can be virtually any type of leveling device but a particularly preferred device is a bubble level as depicted in the drawings due to the inexpensive cost and facility of use. In such a manner, the user would check the leveling 50 prior to securing the carrier 22 to the wall 14 to insure that the device 10 and both hooks 20 mounted thereon are level. This will insure that any picture or wall object mounted using the device of the present invention is similarly level.

[0025] Having thus described the invention with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 

Wherefore, I claim
 1. A fastening device for hanging a picture or other wall object on a wall, said device including a carrier having at least two mounting hooks in parallel alignment secured to said carrier for engaging wire mounting means on the back of said picture or wall object and affixation means for affixing said carrier to the wall.
 2. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein said carrier is a flexible material.
 3. The fastening device of claim 2, wherein said flexible material is selected from the group consisting of plastic, paper or cardboard.
 4. The fastening device of claim 1, where said affixation means are nails which can be driven through said mounting hooks and carrier to affix the device to the wall.
 5. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein said affixation means is a releasable adhesive material for affixing the carrier to the wall.
 6. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein said mounting means further include a leveling device.
 7. The fastening device of claim 6, wherein said leveling device is a bubble level.
 8. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein said hooks are secured to the carrier by glue.
 9. A fastening device for hanging a picture or other wall object on a wall, said device including a carrier having at least two mounting hooks in parallel alignment secured to said carrier for engaging wire mounting means on the back of said picture or wall object, affixation means for affixing said carrier to the wall and leveling means for leveling the carrier.
 10. The fastening device of claim 9, wherein said level means comprises a bubble level.
 11. The fastening device of claim 9, wherein said carrier is a flexible material.
 12. The fastening device of claim 1, wherein said flexible material is selected from the group consisting of plastic, paper or cardboard.
 13. The fastening device of claim 9, where said affixation means are nails which can be driven through said mounting hooks and carrier to affix the device to the wall.
 14. The fastening device of claim 9, wherein said affixation means is a releasable adhesive material for affixing the carrier to the wall.
 15. A method for hanging a picture or other wall object on a wall, said method comprising the steps of: providing a fastening device of the type including a carrier having at least two mounting hooks in parallel alignment secured to said carrier for engaging wire mounting means on the back of said picture or wall object and affixation means for affixing said carrier to the wall; affixing said carrier to said wall; and mounting said picture or other wall object onto said fastening device by engaging the wire mounting means on the back of the picture or wall object with the mounting hooks on said carrier.
 16. A method for hanging a picture or other wall object on a wall, said method comprising the steps of: providing a fastening device of the type including a carrier having at least two mounting hooks in parallel alignment secured to said carrier for engaging wire mounting means on the back of said picture or wall object, affixation means for affixing said carrier to the wall, and leveling means for leveling the carrier; positioning the carrier on the wall such that the leveling means indicate that the carrier is level; affixing said carrier to said wall; and mounting said picture or other wall object onto said fastening device by engaging the wire mounting means on the back of the picture or wall object with the mounting hooks on said carrier. 